Author: News Desk

Azerbaijan: The United Nations will send a humanitarian mission to Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time in about 30 years. The mission is aimed at addressing humanitarian needs after Azerbaijan retook the territory, which led to a major refugee exodus. “The government of Azerbaijan and the UN have agreed on a mission to the region. The mission will take place over the weekend,” UN spokesman Mr. Stephane Dujarric told reporters. The statement came after a request by Armenia to the World Court to order Azerbaijan to withdraw all its troops from civilian establishments in Nagorno-Karabakh. In February 2022, the World Court,…

United States: The US government’s anti-discrimination agency has filed a lawsuit against the electric car company Tesla for allowing the “pervasive racial harassment” of black workers at its flagship California factory. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal body, stated that Black workers in Elon Musk’s company had routinely faced stereotyping, racial insults, and hostility since at least 2015. The court action adds federal charges to discrimination claims already filed by the state of California, lawsuits by individual Tesla employees, and a class action suit involving about 240 workers. “Tesla subjected Black employees at its manufacturing facilities in Fremont,…

Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mr. Justin Trudeau reportedly has remarked on the seriousness of strengthening relations with India, despite the ongoing diplomatic dispute. Tensions escalated when, on September 19, 2023, Mr. Trudeau mentioned an ongoing Canadian investigation into credible accusations of India’s role in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader. India dismissed the claim as “absurd.” Mr. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was fatally shot outside a temple in Canada in June 2023. The Canadian Prime Minister highlighted the significant need for constructive and serious engagement with India. Tensions between the two countries became evident during the G20 summit in Delhi…

United States: The UN refugee agency has reported that over 2,500 individuals have lost their lives or gone missing attempting to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe this year. At the same time, approximately 186,000 people have successfully reached European countries. Ms. Ruven Menikdiwela, director of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in New York, has told the UN Security Council that out of the 186,000 individuals who crossed the Mediterranean, a significant 83 percent, or around 130,000 people, arrived in Italy. Additionally, people who made the Mediterranean crossing also landed in Greece, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta. The…

United Kingdom: A new study has found that about 40 percent of people globally live with undiagnosed diabetes. The 2023 diabetes global industry overview, the largest survey of its type to date, stated that most people who are not diagnosed live in Africa (60 percent), followed by southeast Asia (57 percent), and the western Pacific region (56 percent). According to the report, half of those who are diagnosed do not receive treatment. Three in four people with the condition live in low- and middle-income countries where people cannot always access healthcare services. Ms. Sasha Korogodski, the report’s lead researcher, commented…

United States: Mr. Travis King, a US soldier, is having medical check-ups at a Texas base after being released by North Korea following a two-month detention. A Pentagon official stated that the tests are meant to evaluate his emotional and mental well-being. The statement came shortly after his arrival in San Antonio. In July 2023, the 23-year-old reconnaissance specialist crossed into North Korea from South Korea without authorization. “He’ll be going through medical screenings, medical evaluations, and then he’ll be meeting with professionals to assess his emotional and mental health,” Pentagon spokeswoman Ms. Sabrina Singh stated. Ms. Singh declined to…

United States: The US National Security Agency (NSA) has launched an artificial intelligence security centre to manage the development and integration of AI capabilities within US defence and intelligence services. Director of the NSA and US Cyber Command, General Paul Nakasone, commented that the US is aware of the increasing importance of AI in the national security landscape and that the opening of the new centre was part of steps to “shape the future” of AI technology in the security, defence, and intelligence sectors. “We maintain an advantage in AI in the United States today. That AI advantage should not…

Bangladesh: Human Rights Watch has stated that European maritime companies are ditching their old ships for scrap on beaches in Bangladesh in dangerous conditions that have killed workers pulling them apart. Bangladesh’s southeastern Sitakunda beaches have emerged as one of the world’s largest shipbreaking yards. According to the HRW report, European firms are among the shipping companies to have sent 520 vessels in harmful and polluting conditions to the site since 2020. “Companies scrapping ships in Bangladesh’s dangerous and polluting yards are making a profit at the expense of Bangladeshi lives and the environment. Shipping companies should stop using loopholes…

China: The trading of Evergrande, a Chinese real estate company, has been halted in Hong Kong. It comes due to reports suggesting that the company’s chairman is under police surveillance amidst the ongoing crisis. Following recent reports this week, it appears that additional current and former executives have been taken into custody. In August 2023, the company filed for bankruptcy in New York to safeguard its US assets while negotiating a major deal worth billions with its creditors. The current pause in market trading comes only a month after the company’s earlier 17-month trading suspension was lifted. Evergrande once considered…

North Korea: North Korea’s lawmakers have unanimously decided to incorporate their nuclear programme into the nation’s constitution. The state news agency KCNA reported on the “crucial agenda item”, explaining that the new constitutional amendment would establish North Korea’s pursuit of a nuclear force “as the basic law of the state.” It comes after a meeting held by North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly. Mr. Kim Jong Un, the country’s leader, spoke at the assembly to back the amendment’s approval. Mr. Kim urged for a faster upgrade of nuclear weapons to maintain a strong strategic deterrence against perceived threats, such as the…